Mohammad Rizwan Takes Over as Pakistan's White-Ball Captain; Babar, Afridi, Naseem Return for Australia Series
The squads reveal other notable changes: Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, who both missed out on central contracts, are also excluded from these tours. Fakhar’s exclusion follows a series of controversies, including his criticism of Babar's exclusion from the Test squad in a now-deleted tweet.
Mohammad Rizwan has been named Pakistan’s new white-ball captain, succeeding Babar Azam, who recently stepped down from the role. Rizwan's first test as captain will be the upcoming ODI and T20I series against Australia in November. The series marks the return of key players Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah to Pakistan's white-ball lineup, after they were left out of the previous Test series against England.
Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as the vice-captain across the white-ball formats, stepping in as captain for the T20I series in Zimbabwe as Rizwan will not participate in that series.
The squads reveal other notable changes: Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, who both missed out on central contracts, are also excluded from these tours. Fakhar’s exclusion follows a series of controversies, including his criticism of Babar's exclusion from the Test squad in a now-deleted tweet. While PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi acknowledged Fakhar's comments, he cited a failed fitness test as the main reason for his omission.
Shadab Khan has been dropped from the roster, with the PCB opting for the young left-arm wristspinner Sufiyan Muqeem in both T20I squads. Additionally, off-spin all-rounder Qasim Akram will join the T20I squad in Zimbabwe.
The Australian tour, beginning on November 4, will be Pakistan's first ODI action since last year’s World Cup in India. It is the start of a busy schedule leading up to the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, which Pakistan is set to host. Following the series against Australia and Zimbabwe, Pakistan will face South Africa in both formats and then participate in a tri-series with South Africa and New Zealand in Multan, providing valuable prep ahead of the Champions Trophy.
